MetaphysicsA study of the spiritual, that beyond the physical, hence 'meta-physical', a philosophy beyond religions or dogma, but which lies at their core teachings.

Striving for Enlightenment

Enlightenment generally means insight or understanding facilitating precision of awareness. Though, the English word covers two ideas which could be quite different: spiritual or religious enlightenment and worldly or logical enlightenment. This could cause puzzlement, as those who state intellectual enlightenment usually reject religious concepts altogether.

In spiritual use, enlightenment is very closely linked with East and South Asian spiritual experience, being utilized to interpret words like (in Buddhism) bodhi or satori, or (in Hinduism) moksha. The idea does even have parallels in Abrahamic religions (in Kabbalah custom in Judaism, in Christian religion, and in Sufi custom of Islam). In worldly use, the notion refers mostly to European intellectual movement called as an Age of Enlightenment, also known the Age of Reason referring to theoretical developments connected to technical rationality in 17th as well as 18th centuries.

The Enlightenment is a phrase used to portray a segment in Western philosophy and civilizing life centered on the 18th century, where reason was advocated as primary basis and legitimacy for power developing in Britain, Germany, France, the Italy and the Netherlands, the association extend through much of Europe, comprising Scandinavia and Russia. The signatories of American Declaration of the Independence, United States Bill of Rights as well as the French Declaration of Rights of Man plus of the Citizen were aggravated by "Enlightenment" values (though the English Bill of Rights predates the age). This period is even called as Age of Reason.

The intellectual and theoretical developments of that era (as well as their impact in moral, communal, and political reform) aimed towards greater rights and liberties for ordinary people founded on self-governance, natural law, natural rights, central highlighting on freedom, individual rights, common sense, reason and the values of deism. These values were a revolutionary exit from autocracy, theocracy, oligarchy, aristocracy, as well as the divine right of kings. The Enlightenment marks an honorable exit from middle Ages, State and Church authorized domination, toward a period of rational individual discourse, liberty of belief, freedom, technical progress, and modernity.

Political accomplishments of Enlightenment: Political writer and French historian, Alexis de Tocqueville, called notice to the importance of legitimate devolution in the US- the division of powers into 3 comparatively sovereign centers, the defensive division of power among central and state governments, the additional devolution to restricted units, as well as the devolution of judicial procedure during the Anglo-American system of test by jury. The French Revolution got a more frantic and hazardous turn. In the Reign of fear the innovative authorities executed innumerable enemies of people. Furthermore, the French republic, French experiment in the democracy, was susceptible. After the fall of realm, France wavered among democratic state and autocracy. As Tocqueville said, "In French Revolution there were 2 conflicting tendencies which should not be puzzled; one favored freedom, as well as the other despotism."